


The School for Good and Evil Rewritten

by phaethon_path



Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: Lore - Freeform, Multi, Too angsty, also, because apparently those are hard to come by, good mother/daughter relationships, i think i accidentally made agatha too angry, too much lore!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25999672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phaethon_path/pseuds/phaethon_path
Summary: This just comes from me thinking about how good the School for Good and Evil could have been but it wasn't.Prologue + Chapter 1 of a sample rewrite! I may never continue, but might as well get the ideas out there.This year, Agatha and Sophie are the chosen Readers to attend the School for Good and Evil, but the unexpected happens when sullen-faced Agatha is put in the School for Good and selfless Sophie is put in the School for Evil.
Relationships: Agatha/Sophie (The School for Good and Evil), Callis and Agatha
Comments: 14
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey hey hey
> 
> i think the school for good and evil had a really good original concept that was ruined by the fact that it was made a series and not a standalone and also i think sophie deserves character development and also tedros deserves to die
> 
> okay seriously tho: this is kind of a thing i've been thinking about for a year and a bit, so it's about time i finally put it out there! keep in mind that this is just a sample so it's highly unlikely that i'll continue it, but if enough people ask, i might post my thoughts on a school for good and evil rewrite uwu
> 
> also it's been forever since i last read the school for good and evil so i'll probably get like. a lot of stuff wrong lmao
> 
> hope you enjoy!

_Dear Miss Agatha of Woods Beyond,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as one of our two Readers this year at the School for Good and Evil. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing what story you will tell at our school._

_As per tradition, you will be collected a week prior to the beginning of the school year so that you will be able to acclimate to school life away from home without the pressure of schoolwork and attending classes._

_All school materials (textbooks, uniforms, etc.) and things for living in dorms (hygiene products, items for clothes-washing, etc.) will be provided for you while you stay on campus, but you may also choose to bring a small suitcase or bag with additional items you may need in order to make your stay more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the School for Good and Evil is not a pet-friendly place as of yet, but this may change in the future, so for now, please refrain from bringing any furry friends._

_Hope to see you soon!_

_Yours,_  
_The School Master_  
_Clarissa Dovey, Dean of the School for Good_  
_Lady Leonora Lesso, Dean of the School for Evil_

The moment Agatha finishes reading the letter, she takes it into the cemetery and sets it on fire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lore time babey

In all honesty, all of Gavaldon knew who would be chosen by the School for Good and Evil this year. Ask any grubby-fingered child, any unassuming shopkeeper or even the traveling merchants who passed through on their way to greater cities, and they'd all tell you the same thing: this year, the Readers will be Sophie, daughter of Stephan, and Agatha from the cemetery hill. Sophie, selfless and hardworking, and Agatha, sullen and sharp-tongued. 

Agatha knows this, and the letter she'd found on her porch just as she stopped out to do some chores just makes her hate it even more. 

It all started right after the founding of Gavaldon, about a thousand years ago. The first settlers had finally managed to build themselves houses sturdy enough to last through the year when the letters first appeared, addressed to two of the settlers' children. The letters declared that nearby, there was a School for Good and Evil, which specialized in the raising of fairy tales, and the head of the school, the School Master, would be pleased if Miss Aurora and Mister Ben would join them for the school year. 

The settlers already had a school for their children, but they were curious, so they sent Aurora and Ben into the woods, as they were asked to in the letters. Aurora and Ben never returned. Four years later, two new letters were sent to two other children, and a box full of books, marked with the swan crest of the School for Good and Evil, appeared at the doorstep of Gavaldon's bookstore. 

Angry at having lost two of their children already, the settlers burned the new letters, but more kept appearing. That very night, the children selected vanished right out of their beds. 

Now infuriated, the townspeople demanded to burn the books, but the town council agreed to at least read the books themselves, hoping that they'd contain clues as to where their children had gone.

And indeed, Ben's mother- now on the council as the chief consultant concerning all things related to the School for Good and Evil- burst into tears as the story detailed the Beast's transformation back into a human, along with art depicting a young man she immediately recognized as her son as the now-transformed Beast. The words of a woman were not easily trusted then, and it was only when Ben's father read the book and confirmed her suspicions that the council believed her. 

Another four years passed, and two more letters and a book with a sleeping beauty named Aurora on its cover arrived in Gavaldon. The council concluded that this School for Good and Evil was raising fairy tales indeed.

While the children of Gavaldon wholeheartedly believed that the missing children were the ones in their books, the adults were slower to believe- as is true in most stories. The villagers of Gavaldon lived in fear of the School for Good and Evil and its School Master… until one year, the two children taken the year before returned.

One of them told stories of a dark, foreboding school, and of learning to be cruel and cold-hearted- but also learning how to blow glass like her father, and how to hunt well enough that she soon became the most respected hunter in Gavaldon.

The other spun a tale of a school made out of crystal, and how he learned to be a knight that rescued beautiful princesses and handsome princes alike, and he soon began a school of his own, where he would teach the children of Gavaldon how to properly wield a sword.

Thus the choice presented to each child taken by the School Master was made known. At the end of the year, each child was allowed to choose whether they'd stay for the full four years of schooling, or if they wanted to return to their families in Gavaldon. If they chose to stay, they wouldn't be allowed to go back until they graduated, but if they chose to leave, they could return to their homes and they would never be chosen by the School for Good and Evil again. 

Callis finds Agatha ruminating on this choice in the cemetery their home is set in, sitting atop a gravestone. 

"Off the gravestone, Aggie," Callis says automatically, having caught Agatha doing this much too often. "You're being rude to Mr. and Mrs. Woods."

Agatha rolls her eyes, but hops off anyways, opting to instead lean against it, arms crossed. 

"You got in." Callis smiles crookedly, the kind of smile that would always send the younger children of Gavaldon running. Although she was a self-declared healer, there had always been rumours that she was secretly a witch, which was all nonsense, if you asked Agatha. 

"I got in where?" Agatha asks, staring balefully at her mother.

"The School," Callis says. She holds out a letter, identical to the one Agatha had burned just this morning. Agatha doesn't need to see the wax crest holding the envelope closed to know what school she's been invited to. Every person who's lived in Gavaldon calls their school "school", while the School for Good and Evil gets the honour of being called "The School."

Agatha takes the letter, and without even looking at it, rips it to pieces and drops the paper shreds on the grass. 

Callis snorts. "That was uncalled for."

"I'm not going," Agatha says adamantly. 

Callis sighs. 

"You and I know full well that they'll take you whether you want to or not. And hey, if you don't like it, you can always come back next year." 

Callis sits on the grass next to Mr. and Mrs. Woods' headstone, and beckons Agatha to sit with her. After a moment, Agatha relents. She doesn't know if it's possible to sit angrily, but she does her best to.

"Why don't you wanna go, sweetheart?" Callis asks. 

"It's stupid," Agatha mutters.

"A lot of things are stupid," Callis laughs. "Come on, baby. Be honest. You know I can see right through you."

Agatha's shoulders slump.

"It's stupid," she repeats, more quietly. "I don't wanna have to leave you for some stupid fairy tale school."

Callis hides a smile. "Ah, there it is. Don't let me hold you back, sugar. You go and be the real fairy tale princess I know you are."

She then bursts into ringing cackles as Agatha glares at her.

"Everybody knows I'm not gonna be some pretty princess type," Agatha huffs, trying to bite back a grin. "I'm gonna end up being the cannibalistic witch."

"Oh dear," Callis says, teasingly. "I suppose I should start teaching you how to properly cook children."

This time, both mother and daughter start laughing. When their mirth dies down, Callis lets out a sigh. 

"Really, darling, it probably won't be as bad as you think it is. 'Sides, like everyone says: you can always come back."

"I know," Agatha says, softly. "I'm still scared."

"Anyone would be, baby."

Callis wraps an arm around Agatha's shoulders, and Agatha leans into her side. This is it, she thinks. This is the last time I'm going to be able to see my mom before I go to that school.

"Don't get into too much trouble," Callis says. Agatha laughs.

"Do you even know me, Mom?"

"Yes, well… don't get into too much trouble. Follow all the common-sense rules and no kissing any girls until your grades are good."

"Mom."

"Haha, I'm just teasing you! You'll do fine, I know it."

Agatha smiles, something the villagers of Gavaldon would consider as rare as a warm day in the middle of winter. Out of the entire town, only one person has seen this smile, and it's the woman who raised her. 

"Thanks."

From below them, at the bottom of the cemetery hill, they hear a faint shout of Agatha's name. Agatha and Callis peer over the headstones to see a figure in pastel pink struggling up the hill, a heavy-looking basket in her hands. 

"Oh dear," Callis says, amused. "Is that who I think it is?"

She stands and brushes off her skirt.

"Invite her to dinner, darling. I hear she's the other selected Reader. Though, you two seem to get along well enough that I'm not worried."

Agatha scowls. 

"She's not my friend. We don't get along."

Callis scoffs. 

"Could have fooled me. Come inside whenever, I'll keep the stew warm for you."

Agatha stands and hugs herself as she watches the figure in pink continue its burdened ascent, and wishes her cat Reaper were here instead of in the house napping so he could scare Sophie away. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> honestly sophie just reminds me of every overzealous christian kid  
> i should know, i used to be one lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for everyone who left comments!!!! love y'all  
> chapter is a bit shorter this time, sorry :((  
> i was tempted to read the og book so many times while reading this, but i literally swore to myself that i wouldn't, so if there are any mistakes, those are mine :'))  
> anyways, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

"Honestly, Aggie," Sophie wheezes, once she reaches the top of the hill. "Couldn't you live elsewhere? Like, I don't know, with the rest of us normal people." 

"I don't know if you've noticed, but my mom and I aren't exactly _normal_ people," Agatha deadpans. "Remember? We're the village witches. And, stop calling me 'Aggie' already."

"Your mother calls you that," Sophie says.

"That's because she's my _mom_. You're not. Buzz off."

"You wish I was your mother," Sophie sniffs. "If I were her, you'd be living amongst the rest of society, and you'd grow up normal."

Agatha rolls her eyes. "Sophie, your definition of normal is yourself. I'd rather die."

"You would not."

"I would."

Sophie doesn't see any problem with setting herself as the normal everyone should adhere to. Who wouldn't want to be pretty and selfless like her? Her, with hair like spun gold and vivid green eyes and the softest skin? Her, who hands out healthy food and water to the poor instead of money, because who knows what they'd waste it on? Anyone would be fortunate to be like her. 

She's dreamed of the School for Good and Evil for years, since she first heard of their student exchange. She knows she'd be perfect for Good, and has groomed herself to be truly Good since. After all, what girl wouldn't love to be swept away to a school for magic where she might meet her future spouse? 

Agatha, probably, if the way Agatha scowls and hugs herself is any indication. But to be fair, that's only probably because Agatha knows as much as anyone else does that she'll be put in Evil and taught to be a supervillain who will haunt the dreams of children for years to come before she meets her timely end at a hero's hands. Meanwhile, Sophie will be able to blossom like the flower she is in Good, and if she's lucky (which, she is), she'll be able to find herself a nice partner to ensure a future in Good. 

Oh, yes, Sophie's already heard that Agatha's the other selected Reader. It's the talk of the town, especially since Callis had let slip to the local baker that she'd found the infamous letter outside her door. 

"Aren't you excited, Aggie?" Sophie says, directing the conversation to a lighter topic. "We'll be going to school together!"

"We've _been_ going to school together," Agatha says. "For the past eleven years."

"No, like a _real_ school. Not that shed everyone calls a school. Remember? There's-"

"Towers made of crystal and iron," Agatha interrupts. "I know. And our school isn't a _shed_. Didn't your dad work hard renovating it?"

"Oh, I'm sure he did," Sophie says, waving a hand dismissively. "But it's nothing compared to the school we're about to go to. Crystal and iron, Aggie! Not- not rotting wood and rusty nails."

Agatha scoffs. 

"Think about it," Sophie sighs. "Me, surrounded by the most beautiful, the most Good people in the world. Learning to be a true princess. And you! You, surrounded by- well… people, I suppose."

"Gee, thanks," Agatha drawls. "I love being crushed in a crowd by people."

"That's not what I meant." Sophie pouts.

"Whatever. You've made your point. I'm going to get dinner." Agatha turns to leave. Sophie can't help but notice the shreds of paper at her feet, and a swan crest ripped in half.

"Wait!" Sophie holds up her basket. "I brought you dinner. I promise it's much better than your mother's… food. You're going to need the nutrients if we're going to the School tonight."

Agatha stares at the basket and wrinkles her nose.

"No thanks."

"Aggie, please? I worked so hard on it. I nearly cut myself open making the sliced fruit!"

"Congratulations, you finally did some honest work," Agatha says sarcastically. 

Sophie huffs and stomps her foot, like a child about to throw a tantrum.

"Aggie!"

"I told you to stop calling me that."

Agatha turns on her heel and walks away, leaving Sophie standing alone in the graveyard, basket still in hand. 

Sophie takes a breath and holds it, counting to ten to will away the anger bubbling in her stomach. 

"It's alright, Sophie," she tells herself. "She just doesn't know what's good for her. You do! And you're beautiful and Good, so it doesn't really matter what she thinks."

Thoroughly reassured by her own pep talk, she hoists her basket up to her shoulder and starts picking her way down the hill. 

  
  


When Sophie gets home, her father is busy hammering away at the windows of her room- or, rather, the wooden planks he's put across them, barring them from any outsides who might want to, say, spirit her away to a magical school. 

Sophie pouts at him, hands fisted on her hips. 

"Daddy, what in the name of all that is Good are you doing?"

He straightens and draws a hand across his brow to brush away his sweat.

"What does it look like? By the way, Sophie, I think you should stay at Honora's tonight."

At the mention of the woman Sophie's father has been courting for the past year or so, Sophie's expression immediately sours. Then, she remembers that frowning brings wrinkles, so she schools her face into a strained smile.

"And whyever would I do that? I feel perfectly safe at home."

"I'm not letting any 'School Master' take my daughter away from me," Stephan says gruffly. 

Sophie sighs. 

"Daddy, please. You know I'll do absolutely fine there. Besides, their school is much better than ours. Who wouldn't want to jump at such an exciting opportunity?"

"Our school is just fine," Stephan says. "Built it myself."

"I know," Sophie says, rolling her eyes. "But the School has so many more courses! And it's perfectly suited for someone as _Good_ as me."

Stephan is quiet for a moment, but from the way his jaw is set, Sophie knows that he isn't going to let this go anytime soon. 

"Let me stay here tonight?" Sophie asks, giving her father the best puppy-eyes she can muster. "You've already boarded up all the windows. This house is as tight as a drum."

Stephan scowls, but then sighs and shrugs.

"Fine. Don't take any of them down."

He turns and starts heading back into the house, tools in hand.

"I won't," Sophie calls, wiggling her fingers in farewell.

She turns, and stares at the wooden planks nailed firmly over her window, the slight pink of her curtains barely visible through the cracks. It would be quite the workout to pry them off, and there's always the danger of splinters and chipped nails. 

She wouldn't pull off the planks. But she knows that the School Master will. 


End file.
